Palestinian Musakhan-Style Chicken Stir-Fry with Sumac Onions

Name: Palestinian Musakhan-Style Chicken Stir-Fry with Sumac Onions
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and sliced across the grain into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick strips, about 2 inches (5 cm) long; 1 tbsp (7 g) ground sumac; 1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt; 3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 large (about 1.75 lb) (800 g) large yellow onions, halved, peeled and sliced into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ¾ tsp (4½ g) fine sea salt; 1 tbsp (7 g) ground sumac; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for searing the chicken, divided between two batches; ⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; 1 tsp (2½ g) ground sumac, for sprinkling at the end; 4 rounds (7-inch) (260 g) pita, taboon or lavash flatbread, left whole, for warming; ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

All the flavors of Palestinian musakhan, tangy sumac, sweet slow-cooked onions, olive oil and toasted pine nuts, in a weeknight skillet dish. Seared allspice-spiced chicken is tossed with a mountain of soft sumac onions and served over warm flatbread.

Prep: 18 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 8 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 6 cups stir-fry)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and sliced across the grain into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick strips, about 2 inches (5 cm) long
1 tbsp (7 g) ground sumac
1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
For the sumac onions
3 large (about 1.75 lb) (800 g) large yellow onions, halved, peeled and sliced into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¾ tsp (4.5 g) fine sea salt
1 tbsp (7 g) ground sumac
To finish and serve
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for searing the chicken, divided between two batches
⅓ cup (45 g) pine nuts
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
1 tsp (2.5 g) ground sumac, for sprinkling at the end
4 rounds (7-inch) (260 g) pita, taboon or lavash flatbread, left whole, for warming
½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, for serving (optional)

Equipment (6)

12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet, sauté pan or large flat-bottomed wok
Medium bowl for marinating
Chef's knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon or spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Large plate and small bowl for holding cooked components

Steps

Before you start

Plan for 20 minutes of marinating. Slice the onions and chop the parsley while the chicken marinates.
Use ground sumac that is deep red and tangy. Old, brownish sumac tastes dull, so smell it first.
Use a 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or sauté pan. The onions start out as a large pile and cook down by about two-thirds.
Have a clean plate and a bowl ready. The pine nuts, onions and chicken are cooked separately and combined at the end.

1
Marinate the chicken
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken strips with 1 tablespoon sumac (sumac_marinade), allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Toss with your hands until every strip is evenly coated and no dry spice patches remain.
- Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes (up to 8 hours).
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated in a brick-red spice paste with no dry patches
Tip: Slice the chicken across the grain and keep strips thin and similar in size so they cook in 4 minutes.
2
Slice the onions
- While the chicken marinates, halve the onions through the root, peel them, and slice into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons.
- Chop the parsley and squeeze the lemon so everything is ready at the stove.
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Ready when: Onion slices are thin and even, about 8 cups loosely packed
Tip: Even slices cook at the same rate, so you don't get a mix of burnt and raw onion.
3
Toast the pine nuts
- Set a dry 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring or shaking the pan constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a small plate right away.
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Ready when: Nuts are golden-brown and smell nutty
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds, so don't walk away and remove them from the hot pan immediately.
4
Cook the onions
- Return the same skillet to medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- When it shimmers, add the sliced onions and ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 12 to 14 minutes.
- The onions will release water, collapse, then begin to turn golden at the edges.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon sumac (sumac_onions) during the final minute.
- Scrape into a bowl.
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Ready when: Onions are very soft, reduced to about a third of their volume, glossy and golden at the edges, with a deep reddish tint from the sumac
Tip: If onions start to brown too fast before they're soft, lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon of water.
5
Sear first chicken batch
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium-high heat.
- Add 1½ teaspoons of the searing oil.
- When the oil shimmers, add half the chicken in a single layer.
- Leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes to brown, then stir and cook 2 minutes more.
- Transfer to the large plate.
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Ready when: Chicken is browned in spots and no longer pink, reaching 165°F (74°C) inside
Tip: Don't crowd the pan. Overcrowded chicken steams and turns grey instead of browning.
6
Sear second batch
- Add the remaining 1½ teaspoons of searing oil and let it heat 15 seconds.
- Cook the second half of the chicken the same way, 2 minutes undisturbed and 2 minutes stirring.
- Leave the chicken in the pan with the heat on.
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Ready when: Thickest strip reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer
Tip: Check the thickest strip. Thigh meat is forgiving and stays juicy at 165°F (74°C) or a bit higher.
7
Combine and toss
- Return the first batch of chicken and all the sumac onions, with any juices, to the skillet.
- Add the lemon juice.
- Toss over medium-high heat for 2 minutes so the chicken picks up the onion flavor and the pan juices cling to everything.
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Ready when: Everything is hot and glossy, with little liquid left in the pan
Tip: Taste and add a pinch of salt or a little more lemon if you want a sharper tang.
8
Warm the flatbread
- Heat a clean, dry skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Warm each flatbread for 20 to 30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly blistered.
- Stack the breads and cover with a clean towel.
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Ready when: Bread is soft, warm and flexible with a few light brown spots
Tip: Don't overheat or the bread turns stiff and crisp.
9
Finish and serve
- Place one warm flatbread on each plate.
- Pile the chicken and onions on top.
- Scatter with toasted pine nuts, parsley and the remaining 1 teaspoon sumac.
- Serve with cold yogurt on the side, if using.
- Eat with the bread, tearing off pieces to scoop.
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Ready when: Plates are topped with a red-gold mound sprinkled with nuts and green parsley
Tip: Add the pine nuts at the last moment to keep them crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Don't skip cooking the onions separately. They need the long, gentle cook to turn sweet and silky and to balance the tart sumac.
Add the sumac to the onions late in the cooking. Cooking it for too long makes it dull and bitter.
Cut chicken strips of even thickness so they all finish at the same moment and stay tender.
Get the pan properly hot before adding the chicken; the browning adds a savory depth that stands up to the onions.

Make ahead

"Slice the onions and marinate the chicken up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate separately, covered. Sumac onions can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; reheat in the skillet before adding the chicken."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: store the stir-fry in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 2 months (the pine nuts and parsley are best added fresh). Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water for 4 to 5 minutes until steaming hot, to at least 165°F (74°C). Keep bread separate and rewarm in a dry skillet."

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breast. Slice the same way and cook 3 to 4 minutes per batch, just until it reaches 165°F (74°C), so it doesn't dry out.
pine nuts → slivered almonds. Toast the same way for 3 to 4 minutes. Almonds are a traditional and cheaper stand-in.
ground sumac → 1 tbsp lemon zest plus 1 extra tbsp lemon juice. It gives a similar tang but a less earthy flavor. Add the juice in the last step.
pita, taboon or lavash flatbread → cooked basmati rice. Use 3 cups (about 500 g) cooked rice for 4 servings, and spoon the chicken over it.